Patrick Sharp Thanks Chicago Fans in Full-Page Newspaper Ad

The winger was traded to the Dallas Stars on Friday for salary cap reasons

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Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks holds the Stanley Cup trophy during the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Championship Rally at Soldier Field on June 18, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois.

Patrick Sharp may be leaving the Blackhawks, but the winger wants Chicago to know that he is thankful for his time spent in the Windy City.

Sharp took out a full-page advertisement in the Sunday Chicago Tribune expressing his gratitude after spending 10 years with the team. The ad shows a giant photo of Sharp holding up the Stanley Cup from this year's victory as well as a smaller photo of his wife and two daughters.

After months of rumors about a possible trade, Sharp was sent to the Dallas Stars on Friday for salary cap reasons. Despite the seeming inevitability of the trade, however, Sharp took the news hard.

"I knew it was coming. It still comes as a shock when it happens," he during a conference call with reporters on Saturday. "The conversation with Stan was a tough one. He's done a lot for me in my career. Whenever you leave an organization, there's certainly mixed emotions. I really enjoyed my time with the Hawks, and I've grown into the person I am today because of that organization."

Patrick Sharp: "What a Team, What a City"

Patrick Sharp thanked fans and congratulated his team on winning their third Stanley Cup in the last six years during the Blackhawks rally at Soldier Field Thursday. (Published Thursday, June 18, 2015)

Sharp helped the team to three Stanley Cup victories in his time with the Blackhawks, which he mentioned twice in the ad. On a more personal note, he said Chicago has meant a lot to his family, too, as his two daughters were born in the city.

Read the full text of the advertisement below:

Thank you, Chicago

I arrived in Chicago in 2005, not knowing the journey that the Blackhawks would take me on over the next 10 years. This team gave me an opportunity to play, to grow and become the person I am today. I will always be grateful for the time I spent here.

Winning the Stanley Cup was a dream come true; winning it three times, with three different groups of teammates, coaches and trainers, was the ultimate privilege as a player. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride when I look back on all that we've accomplished together.

Thank you to Rocky Wirtz, John McDonough, Stan Bowman and the entire Blackhawks family for allowing me to be part of a world-class organization on and off the ice. Thank you to the fans for embracing me as a player and accepting me as a part of Chicago.

This city has meant so much to me and my family: Three Stanley Cup victories. The birth of Madelyn Grace and Sadie Ellen. Endless memories from the fans, my friends and teammates. For the Sharp family, Chicago has become home.